Vidas Irrenovables: Naturaleza o Miseria (trailer)
Non-Renewable Lives: Nature or Misery
Francisco José Vaquero Robustillo

A screening of the full film was held between 19th & 21st September. At this time, the trailer can be viewed below.

Technologies heralded as climate solutions can, in certain circumstances, mirror the extractive patterns of the very industries they seek to replace. Vaquero Robustillo’s feature documentary – screened in full for the first three days of the festival – takes a close look at the rapid deployment of large-scale renewable-energy projects reshaping rural landscapes and livelihoods across Spain. Through testimony and observational footage, the film raises concerns about the social and ecological consequences of what it presents as poorly planned installations – from the conversion of the landscape to tensions within affected communities – and documents the resistance movements that have emerged in response.

While renewable energy remains essential to the transition, the documentary highlights what the filmmaker calls the risk of “destroying ecosystems, economies and societies.” As he explains, “a lack of planning and poor management by public administrations is seriously endangering the survival of the rural world. Something that was intended to save the environment and revive village life is paradoxically turning into the opposite. Faced with this alarming situation, many people refuse to see their territories die and are giving their lives to stop this situation.”